System and method for provision of a second line service on mobile telephone

Abstract

A method for routing calls between a third party telecommunications device (“TD”) and a subscriber TD associated with a primary service and a second line service (“SLS”) involves associating the SLS number of the subscriber, the primary number of the subscriber and the primary number of a third party via a common relationship number. Calls directed from a third party to the SLS number of a subscriber are routed to an SLS platform and redirected to the subscriber TD. Calls directed from the subscriber TD to the third party use the relationship number to route the call to the SLS platform. The combination of the primary service number and the relationship number identifies the third party number for call completion. Calls can be directed to and from an SLS number of a subscriber TD using a combination of protocols such as ISUP, CAP and SIP.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for enabling a mobile telephone to place and receive cellular channel based communications using a second telephone number that is associated within the same mobile telephone, wherein the mobile telephone also includes a primary telephone number and a voicemail box for the primary telephone number, the method comprising the actions of:
 communicatively coupling a special server to a telecommunications network, the special server not being an element of the telecommunications network; 
 assigning a second telephone number to be associated with a first device, wherein the first device includes a primary telephone number, and the second telephone number is a network terminable number; 
 receiving a network communication request over a telecommunications network at the special server, the communication request being initiated by a second device having a network recognizable number assigned thereto and being directed toward the second telephone number of the first device, wherein the telecommunications network recognizes the second telephone number as being serviced by the special server without any prefix or suffix being included with the second telephone number; 
 identifying the first device that is associated with the second telephone number; 
 the special server establishing a call over a first fully completed communications channel that is at least partially based on a cellular communications channel between the second device and the first device, the communications channel being identified as between the second device and the second telephone number of the first device; 
 in response to the call not being answered at the first device, the special server directing the call to a voicemail box that is separate from the voicemail box for the primary number and dedicated only to the second telephone number; 
 establishing a relationship number, the relationship number being a network recognizable number that is associated with the primary telephone number of the first device and the network recognizable number of the second device; 
 receiving a new subscriber communication initiation request at the server, wherein the new subscriber communication initiation request is initiated using an application running on the first device that initiates the new subscriber communication by directing it towards the relationship number and includes the primary number of the first device such that the telecommunications network recognizes the relationship number as being serviced by the special server and thus routes the communication to the special server; and 
 the special server identifying that the primary number and relationship number pair represents that the communication is to be directed to the second device and is to appear as though it originated from the second telephone number of the first device and in response, establishes a call over a second communications channel between the first and the second device and sets the calling line identifier associated with the communication request to the value of the second telephone number of the first device. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for routing communications from a subscriber device to a third device over a communications network, wherein the subscriber device has a primary number with a first voicemail service associated with the primary number and a second number, the method comprising the actions of:
 receiving a communication initiated by the subscriber device at a server platform, wherein the subscriber device initiates the communication, as originating from the second number, by initiating the communication using an application running on the subscriber device that initiates the communication such that it is routed to the server platform by a telecommunications network, the server platform being communicatively coupled to the telecommunications network but not being an integral component of the telecommunications network; 
 determining that the communication was routed to the sever platform from the subscriber device based on the communication being directed to a relationship number without the inclusion of a prefix or suffix, the relationship number being a network addressable telephone number that is associated with the primary number of the subscriber device, a primary number associated with the third device and the second number of the subscriber device, wherein the relationship number together with the primary service number of the subscriber device is used to identify an actual calling number of the third party device and the second number of the subscriber device; 
 based on the primary service number of the subscriber device and the relationship number, identifying the third party actual calling number and the second number of the subscriber device; 
 redirecting the communication from the server platform towards the third party actual calling number and populate the calling line identifier associated with the communication with the second number; 
 receiving a second communication at the server platform, the second communication being directed to the second number of the subscriber device; 
 establishing a call to the subscriber device; and 
 in response to the call not be answered, routing the call to a second voicemail service, wherein the second voicemail service is dedicated solely for the second number. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein communication between the server platform and the third party device is conducted over the cellular network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein communication between the subscriber device and the server platform is conducted over the internet and the subscriber device connects using WIFI. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein communication between the subscriber device, the server platform and the third party device is conducted over the internet and the subscriber device connects using WIFI. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein a primary service provider to the subscriber device is the same service provider as a second number provider to the subscriber device. 
     
     
       7. A method for enabling a mobile telephone to place and receive communications using a second telephone number existing within the same mobile telephone that includes a primary telephone number, wherein a first voicemail service is associated with the primary telephone number, the method comprising the actions of:
 assigning a second line service (SLS) telephone number to be associated with a particular mobile telephone having a primary telephone number; 
 receiving a communication request at a server, the communication request being initiated by a first device using an application running on the first device that initiates the communication such that it is routed to the server through telecommunications network, and directed toward the SLS telephone number of the particular mobile telephone without the inclusion of a prefix or suffix; 
 the server operating to identify the particular mobile telephone that is associated with the SLS telephone number by identifying an association between a primary number of the particular mobile telephone and the SLS telephone number; 
 establishing a communications channel between the first device and the particular mobile telephone, the communications channel being identified as between the first device and the SLS telephone number of the particular mobile telephone; 
 if the established communications channel does not result in a call being answered, the communications channel is directed to a second voicemail service that is associated only with the SLS telephone number; 
 the server providing a relationship number to the particular mobile device, the relationship number being a valid telephone number that can be used by a user of the particular mobile device to initiate a call to the first device by dialing the relationship number; 
 receiving a new subscriber initiated communication request from the particular mobile at the server, the subscriber initiated communication request being directed to the relationship number without the inclusion of a prefix or suffix; 
 the server identifying that the relationship number indicates that the communication is to be directed to the first device and to be identified as originating from the SLS telephone number; 
 establishing a communications channel between the particular mobile telephone and the first device; and 
 populating the calling line identifier field with the value of the SLS telephone number.